William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth colonists, is largely responsible for formulating our current ideas about our Pilgrim forefathers. His narrative history was first published in 1856 and has cemented in our minds the grace, dignity, and practical idealism of this group of our forefathers. As we read this excerpt from Bradford's "History of Plymouth Plantation," consider how he offers a differing perspective on why people leave what is familiar and known for the unknown.
To help understand this piece, you and your partners will be assigned one paragraph from Bradford's document to analyze and report back to the class. By the time you come to class on Wednesday 10/26, you should have completed the following tasks and posted below to our wiki :
Summarize Bradford's main points in your section.
Pick one significant sentence in the paragraph and paraphrase in your own words. Work on careful paraphrasing here.
Post one to two visual images that you feel reflects your paragraph - either in the content or purpose of Bradford's writing.
Paragraph Assignments :
2, 3, 4 = Brandon, Joey, Taylor
5 = Caroline and Avery
6 = Daniel, Emil, Ben T
7 = Ben J, Erik, Andrew
8, 9 = Ellen (thanks for doing on your own!)
10 = Dal and Rob
Paragraph 2, 3, and 4- Bradford is describing the push factors causing people to leave their homes. Some examples of the push factors were; long hours working in the fields, the mental effects of middle and lower class living on the family and children. Bradford references the bible at one point to emphasize the suppression of the lower classes who have to survive, economically, by working manual labor jobs. The third and fourth paragraph touch on the pull factor of spreading Christianity beyond the borders of Europe.
Paraphrase: Some became souldiers, others tooke upon them farr viages by sea, and other some worse courses, tending to dissolutnes and the danger of their soules, to the great greefe of their parents and dishonour of God.
Some of them would leave and travel by sea, others would end up in more harsh scenarios. and their courses would lead them to immorality, and the danger of their soul, to the greif of their parents and dishonor of God.
Bradfrod's fear for thei culture disolving
labor in fields
Paragraph 5 -
The tone of this paragraph tells first of the easily obtained land in america but then goes on to tell about all of the hardships one would encounter by trying to settle there. He says that voyage will be the death of the weak and also that the land can more or less strike back with weather and diseases. It also says that the natives are cruel and won’t just kill you but torture you. This paragraph shows all the negative aspects of migrating to this new world and the dangers involved.
The place we intend to go, the empty land of America, which is good for inhabitation and has fertile soil, is empty of inhabited save for the savages that are all over the land and are as brutal as animals.
“The place they had thoughts on was some of those vast and unpeopled countries of America, which are frutfull and fitt for habitation, being devoyd of brutish men, which range up and downe, litle otherwise then the wild beasts of the same.”
Paragraph 6- Bradford's main point in the entire document is that nothing can be achieved without having to go through difficult obstacles that can make getting to your goals difficult. He says that though there are many difficulties, that none are impossible to get by and solve. He goes into description that in order to make an attempt at obtaining a goal, that one must have reason and the proper resources in order to expect to overcome it. If one is to die while trying to achieve his goal then his endeavors would be honorable. Bradford uses this paragraph to explain the overall message that nothing can be done without going through hardships.
Paraphrase - "For though their were many of them likly yet they were not cartaine; it might be sundrie if the things feared might never befale; others by providente care and the use of good means, might in a great measure be prevented; and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome." "Although there were a lot of people, none of them were certain; It would vary everyone if everything feared never happened; Others by gods care and good work might be prevented; and all of them with gods help, by strength and patience, might be overcome."
Paragraph 7- Bradford's main idea in the paragraph is that all of the people hoping for liberty most work together to achieve it. As he stated, they can not turn on each other as one of the passengers had tried to take the other passengers' belongings. Bradford also states that God is with them on this journey as he killed the traitorous man with a disease before he could do any harm to anyone.
PARAPHRASE- "But it plased God before they came halfe seas over, to smite this young man with a greevous disease, of which he dyed in a desparate manner, and so was him selfe the first that was throwne overbord."
it pleased God before they were half way there, to smite the young man who had a deadly disease, of he died in a despararte manner, and because of this he was the first one thrown overboard.
God is working with them
working together to live
Paragraph 8
Summary: In this paragraph they describe the boat and how it started out good but then the weather got bad and the boat begins to fall apart. Although it is falling apart in many areas, the parts that are under the water are still strong; they are still going to repair the lower parts to make sufficient, but the upper parts they would just repair it a good amount but focus on the lower deck. They also described how certain people dealt with being the boat, good and bad, and also through storms. They put themselves through great danger and finally reached land after all of their suffering.
Paraphrase: "After they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season, they were incountred many times with crosse winds, and metter with many feirce stormes, with which the shipe was shroudly shaken, and her upper works made very leakie; and one of the maine beams in the midd ships was bowed and craked, which put them in some fear that the shipe could not be able to performe to vioage."
-In the beginning it was all good and then it got bad with the winds and storms, which shook the boat. It caused a lot of damage to the boat and caused leaks and cracks; this put them in fear that the ship would not be able to reach their destination.
Rough_sea.jpg
Paragraph 9
Summary: This paragraph describes how the pilgrims felt when the reached land after having a horribly long and miserably rough journey to America. They praised God when they landed on the American soil and how the feeling was nothing like reaching land after a short journey.
Paraphrase: "Being thus arived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the periles and miseries therof, againe to set their feete on the firme and stable earth, their proper elemente."
- When they arrived on land, they fell to the ground praising God, who helped them get over the misery of the rough ocean, and he saved them from other potential happenings, they finally stood on land, where they belonged.
1620_-_Pilgrims_arriving_at_Plymouth.jpg
Paragraph 10- Bradford is talking about how poor and less fortunate people throughout the winter continue to struggle. He talks about how the wonder around through the wilderness with no hope. But then summer comes, a new time, and they are given a chance to confess their sins and move forward. Now they will improve the lives of their children and the next generation.
Paraphrase-" Let it also be considered what weak and succoure they left behind them, that might bear up their minds in this sad condition and trials they were under."
It is possible that the the troubles that were in their life and the things that dragged them down could once again drag them down when they are feeling sad and thinking about the yesterdays.
Click here to explore some background on the Separatists.
To help understand this piece, you and your partners will be assigned one paragraph from Bradford's document to analyze and report back to the class. By the time you come to class on Wednesday 10/26, you should have completed the following tasks and posted below to our wiki :
Paragraph Assignments :
Paragraph 2, 3, and 4- Bradford is describing the push factors causing people to leave their homes. Some examples of the push factors were; long hours working in the fields, the mental effects of middle and lower class living on the family and children. Bradford references the bible at one point to emphasize the suppression of the lower classes who have to survive, economically, by working manual labor jobs. The third and fourth paragraph touch on the pull factor of spreading Christianity beyond the borders of Europe.
Paraphrase: Some became souldiers, others tooke upon them farr viages by sea, and other some worse courses, tending to dissolutnes and the danger of their soules, to the great greefe of their parents and dishonour of God.
Some of them would leave and travel by sea, others would end up in more harsh scenarios. and their courses would lead them to immorality, and the danger of their soul, to the greif of their parents and dishonor of God.
Paragraph 5 -
The tone of this paragraph tells first of the easily obtained land in america but then goes on to tell about all of the hardships one would encounter by trying to settle there. He says that voyage will be the death of the weak and also that the land can more or less strike back with weather and diseases. It also says that the natives are cruel and won’t just kill you but torture you. This paragraph shows all the negative aspects of migrating to this new world and the dangers involved.
The place we intend to go, the empty land of America, which is good for inhabitation and has fertile soil, is empty of inhabited save for the savages that are all over the land and are as brutal as animals.
“The place they had thoughts on was some of those vast and unpeopled countries of America, which are frutfull and fitt for habitation, being devoyd of brutish men, which range up and downe, litle otherwise then the wild beasts of the same.”
Paragraph 6- Bradford's main point in the entire document is that nothing can be achieved without having to go through difficult obstacles that can make getting to your goals difficult. He says that though there are many difficulties, that none are impossible to get by and solve. He goes into description that in order to make an attempt at obtaining a goal, that one must have reason and the proper resources in order to expect to overcome it. If one is to die while trying to achieve his goal then his endeavors would be honorable. Bradford uses this paragraph to explain the overall message that nothing can be done without going through hardships.
Paraphrase - "For though their were many of them likly yet they were not cartaine; it might be sundrie if the things feared might never befale; others by providente care and the use of good means, might in a great measure be prevented; and all of them, through the help of God, by fortitude and patience, might either be borne or overcome."
"Although there were a lot of people, none of them were certain; It would vary everyone if everything feared never happened; Others by gods care and good work might be prevented; and all of them with gods help, by strength and patience, might be overcome."
Paragraph 7- Bradford's main idea in the paragraph is that all of the people hoping for liberty most work together to achieve it. As he stated, they can not turn on each other as one of the passengers had tried to take the other passengers' belongings. Bradford also states that God is with them on this journey as he killed the traitorous man with a disease before he could do any harm to anyone.
PARAPHRASE- "But it plased God before they came halfe seas over, to smite this young man with a greevous disease, of which he dyed in a desparate manner, and so was him selfe the first that was throwne overbord."
it pleased God before they were half way there, to smite the young man who had a deadly disease, of he died in a despararte manner, and because of this he was the first one thrown overboard.
Paragraph 8
Summary: In this paragraph they describe the boat and how it started out good but then the weather got bad and the boat begins to fall apart. Although it is falling apart in many areas, the parts that are under the water are still strong; they are still going to repair the lower parts to make sufficient, but the upper parts they would just repair it a good amount but focus on the lower deck. They also described how certain people dealt with being the boat, good and bad, and also through storms. They put themselves through great danger and finally reached land after all of their suffering.
Paraphrase: "After they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season, they were incountred many times with crosse winds, and metter with many feirce stormes, with which the shipe was shroudly shaken, and her upper works made very leakie; and one of the maine beams in the midd ships was bowed and craked, which put them in some fear that the shipe could not be able to performe to vioage."
-In the beginning it was all good and then it got bad with the winds and storms, which shook the boat. It caused a lot of damage to the boat and caused leaks and cracks; this put them in fear that the ship would not be able to reach their destination.
Paragraph 9
Summary: This paragraph describes how the pilgrims felt when the reached land after having a horribly long and miserably rough journey to America. They praised God when they landed on the American soil and how the feeling was nothing like reaching land after a short journey.
Paraphrase: "Being thus arived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the periles and miseries therof, againe to set their feete on the firme and stable earth, their proper elemente."
- When they arrived on land, they fell to the ground praising God, who helped them get over the misery of the rough ocean, and he saved them from other potential happenings, they finally stood on land, where they belonged.
Paragraph 10- Bradford is talking about how poor and less fortunate people throughout the winter continue to struggle. He talks about how the wonder around through the wilderness with no hope. But then summer comes, a new time, and they are given a chance to confess their sins and move forward. Now they will improve the lives of their children and the next generation.
Paraphrase-" Let it also be considered what weak and succoure they left behind them, that might bear up their minds in this sad condition and trials they were under."
It is possible that the the troubles that were in their life and the things that dragged them down could once again drag them down when they are feeling sad and thinking about the yesterdays.